A Day At The Playground
by Marymel
Summary: Greg takes Jackson to the playground, where they meet a special friend.


**Jackson is my original character, but I don't own CSI.**

**My first new story of the new year! Hope you like it!**

**This is the sixth story I've written inspired by episode 13x07, "Fallen Angels!" I got to wondering how Jackson and Eli might get along together, and this is the story I came up with. Hope you all enjoy! And please review!**

It was a perfect day for going to the playground and running and playing. The sun was out, the temperature was nice, and Greg Sanders had the day off to spend with his son, Jackson.

"Daddy, can we swing on da swings?" Jackson asked as he sat in his car seat.

"Sure," Greg replied as he parked his car. "You want to play on the monkey bars, too?"

"I dunno," Jackson said.

Greg opened the door and Jackson couldn't get out of his seat belt fast enough. He jumped out of the car and he and Greg walked to the playground.

"Daddy, come on!" Jackson said as he pulled Greg to the playground.

Greg smiled at his son. "You ready to go?"

"Yep!" Jackson said as he ran to play with his friends.

"Take your..." Greg began to say in time to see Jackson running to play. He sighed and quietly said, "...your jacket." He smiled as he watched his son laugh and play with his friends.

"They listen so well," a familiar voice said.

Greg turned and saw Warrick's ex-wife, Tina Brewster, sitting on a nearby bench. "Hi, Greg."

"Tina, hi!" Greg smiled at the woman. "Where's Eli?"

Tina pointed to the swings where Jackson was climbing onto a swing. In the swing next to Jackson's was Eli Brown. He and Jackson said hello and began swinging.

"Man, he's getting so big," Greg said.

"I know," Tina replied. "He is growing so much. And looks just like his father."

Greg sighed quietly, thinking of his friend who would have loved watching his son grow up. "He's really great."

Tina looked to the two boys laughing as they played. "Nick told me you have a little boy of your own. Is that him?"

"Yeah, that's Jackson." Greg smiled at his son, happily swinging and talking to Eli. "He's almost four now."

"Aw, he's beautiful. Congrats."

"Thank you."

"Nick told me his mother kept him from you?" Tina asked. When she saw Greg nod slowly, she added, "I'm sorry if I'm being too nosy..."

"No, it's all right," Greg said. "Yeah, she worked with the team for about a year, after..." He glanced towards Eli.

Tina nodded. "Yeah, Nick told me something about a CSI who was really stubborn and just suddenly left."

"Yeah, she left the night after we conceived Jackson."

"Oh," Tina said quietly.

"Anyway," Greg continued, "A few months ago, she comes back to Vegas after killing an undercover cop in Chicago."

Tina shook her head sadly. "Oh, I heard something about that on the news."

"She left Jackson with me, giving me sole custody. And...I honestly don't know how I lived without him."

Tina smiled at Warrick's friend. "Sounds like you're a great father."

Greg smiled at her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she replied.

Greg blew out a breath. "So...how's it going with you? I know Eli's been back with you for, what now?"

"A month," Tina said with a smile. "It's going good. I'm in counseling, and Nick and Sara have both been so great. I'm even going back to work."

"Yeah?" Greg asked.

"Yeah, Desert Palm. I'm getting recertified."

"That's wonderful, really." Greg smiled at the woman who had become a good friend to Nick and Sara.

"Thank you."

Jackson and Eli ran up to them, smiling widely. "Mommy, this is Jackson," Eli said. "He likes to swing!"

"An' Eli can go real high, daddy!" Jackson said.

Greg and Tina pulled their sons closer. "Jacks," Greg said. "I want you to meet someone very special. This is Eli Brown, and that's his mommy, Tina."

"Hello," Tina said as Eli said, "Hi!"

"Hi! I liked playing wif you!" Jackson said to Eli.

Tina smiled. "Jackson, you know what? Did your daddy ever tell you about your Uncle Warrick?"

"Uh-huh," Jackson said. "He an' Uncle Nicky said he was really cool!"

"Well, you know what? He was Eli's daddy."

Jackson gasped softly. "Cool! So you're my Aunt Tina?"

Tina and Greg laughed softly. "Yeah, I guess I am." Looking proudly at her own son, Tina said, "Eli, this is Greg. He's a great friend of your Uncle Nick and Aunt Sara."

"Cool!" Eli said with a smile. "They said you're a cool scientist, like my daddy."

Greg smiled. "Yeah, and you know what? Your daddy helped me to be a cool scientist because he was so cool."

Eli smiled. He loved spending time with his dad's friends and learning more about him. "So can I call you Uncle Greg?"

"Sure," Greg said with a big smile.

After a break with some fruit juice, the boys continued to run and play together. Greg and Tina watched their sons playing together, really having a great time.

When the time came to leave, Greg and Tina had enjoyed the time at the playground almost as much as the boys did.

As Eli put his jacket on, he said, "Uncle Greg, can we do this again soon?"

"Please, daddy?" Jackson asked.

Greg smiled. "I tell you what...Jackson's got a birthday coming up. Would you and your mommy like to come to the party?"

"Yeah!" Eli said with a wide smile.

"Sounds good," Tina agreed. She and Greg exchanged numbers and agreed to meet again so the boys could play together again.

As they rode home, Jackson said, "Daddy, I like Eli. He fun!"

"You have a good time?" Greg asked as he looked at his son in the rear view mirror.

"Yeah! Eli likes to draw an' swing, too!"

Greg couldn't help but think of Warrick, and how his friend would have loved to have seen his and Greg's sons playing together and being great friends.

When they got home, Greg ushered Jackson into the apartment. As he took off his jacket, Jackson said, "Daddy, do you think Uncle Warrick would have liked me?"

Greg smiled thoughtfully at his sweet son. Kneeling in front of him to look into his brown eyes, he said, "I know he would have loved you. And I think he'd be so happy that you and Eli are such good buddies."

Jackson smiled. "Yeah, we good buddies...just like you an' Uncle Warrick, right?"

"Yeah," Greg said as he pulled Jackson into a hug. "Just like us."

**The End.**


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